Water-supply device for locomotive tenders



June s, 1925.v 1,457,715

` c. E. RICE WATER SUPPLY DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERSl mummy June 5, 1923. 1,457,715

c. E. RICE WATER SUPPLY DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS Filed July 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T/VE 0H TENOER Patented June 5, i923. l

CHARLES Yn. nien, or nivnaiuoan, KENTUCKY.

v Application filed July 5,-

T o all (whom 'it may concern v Be it known that I, CHARLESE. Rica, a citizen of the United States, vresident of Livermore, kinthe county of McLean and State of Kentucky., have made a certain new and useful Invention in vWater-Supply VDevices foi-"Locomotive Tenders; and l declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, such, as will lenable others skilled in the-art to which it apper-k tains to make yand use the invention, refg erence being had tojthe accompanying drawings, and to letters o r figures of reference -marked thereon, which form a part of this specication. .i t., y p 'Figure 1 isa-side view of thek invention. Figure 2 is a plan viewvof the same.` p

Figure 3 is a section Von the line- 8f3 Figure 1 and showing a vertical sectional ,view of the operating device carried bythe railwayftrain, the water supply. receptacle being shown as raised and its .spoutfas unfolded. Y Y, Af y Figure 4 is a detailvverticalsection ofthe water supply receptacle showing` its spout as folded. y

kFigure 5 .is a section on the line y5,-5 Figure 4. .p f v vEigure is a detail side view of a part of the gearing.k f

Figure 7 is a detail vertical section of the operating plunger device showing the plunger in lowered position. y

` .T hel invention has relation to water elevators, designed to supply the tenders of locomotives with water,ra`nd operated by the movement or power of the train itself in approaching the point of water supply, an object being to provide a durable, efficient and economical means forl the purpose that will not freeze in cold weather. v'Other objects will appear. A

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth. i y

In they accompanying drawings illustrating the invention,l the' numeral 1 designates a tower located adj acentto the railway track at the point where water supply is desired and having' lmounted atv'the top thereof a said pulley and downwardly' within 'the tower and within'a well 4 over which the ,project downwardly, A vmounted for s lidable movement centrally of pulley 2, a suspension rope passing around i922. serial americas. l

said tower is located, a receptacle `5 'being carried at the lower endof said rope or cable, and being kept constantlygfilled with water, either through natural means, orthe y e bucket could ybe kept filled with water by pumping the supply from a distance ifnecessary. The bucket so located at thebottom a sufficient distance below ground-to prevent danger of .freezing of the water, land is'fof sufficient capacity to supply thetender of the locomotive withA the properA amount of .water when raised tov the top Aof the towerv and emptied or discharged into-theitenderl by the means now to be described.

The suspension rope or cable '3` receptacle or bucket having passed over the `pulley. 2 at the top of the tower passes downwardly again'around a pulley 6 at or near 6o of the well andkept filled with` water` at l i The drum 7 has itsshaftB laterally tendedl to the center ofthe railway track 9,

l and at its'outer end is provided with aspur gear 'wheel or `pinion 10, yin mesh with a largerspury gear wheel 11', the'latter being suitably-mounted'below the said track at the central part thereof, and-.in meshat the-*top thereofwith a rack 12,'the teeth of which thev .track in a suitablefguideway, andfextending longitudinallyl of and parallel `with said track.

The engine or the tender (designated` at` said .rack being 13a and both being cars ofthetrain) is pro-v vided with a plungerrlfnormally heldin raised position byavlatch lever 14, having one arm thereof engaging a seat or recessl of the' plunger,: andupon release of said latch, which may beconvenien'tly effected by the foot of the fireman or engineer upon the other arm of said latch lever, the plunger willbe at once thrust downwardly. by its l spring 16 to lowered position, lwherein it is 100 l adapted for engagement with'a lugl orpro- 'ection 17 of the aforesaidrack, this release 'and -movement of the plungerl being effected just prior to the arrival'of the engine or vtender at the point of `water supply. e ,1.2, v

The plunger being broughtinto engage-- ment with the said lug or projection, the movement oi' the train will slide the rack l2 longitudinally of the track a sufficient distance to eitectfrotation ofthe spur gears l0 and ll and of the pulley 7, to raise the receptacle 5 to the top of the tower. This receptacleis slidable in guides vertically and is provided with a spout extension 18 adapted to extend laterally over and discharge into the water tank of the tender in the usual way, this spout extension having a flexible connection 19 with the bottom of the said receptacle and in the movement oi the receptacle vertically in said guides occupying a vertical position and sliding vertically with the receptacle, the guides providing for maintaining the spout extension in said position, until the receptacle arrives at the limitorn its upward movement, when said spoutextension will automatically tall to horizontal position as shown in Figure 3 and will discharge'the 'contents or" the receptacle into the water tank of the tender, the train remaining stationary during said discharge. Of course should the train not stop with the tender in just the proper position, the said flexible connection Vwill admit of the discharge spout `being laterally moved by the guiding hands of the fireman or attendant to the proper discharge position. *Or if it should be thought advisable, the spout extension may be provided with an outer valve or closure, operable to admit ot' the discharge of the water thereby only'when the train has been moved to bring the water tank of Uthe tender in proper position relative to the spout extension.

The lug or block 17 with which the plunv iger engages is located directly opposite the tower and is engageable by trains going in either direction to slide the rack in one direction or the other, to Vthereby wind the cable in one direction or the other upon the drum 7, and raise thel water receptacle as stated. The plunger is adapted to drop to position to properly engage the block or projection '17 of the slidable rack, but vrno lower. Upon the water receptacle bein rger will engage release block or cam 19 suitably located in the center of the track, and will be thereby pushed upwardly to normal position against the tension of its spring, 'and will then be reengaged automatically by fits said latch,and thereby held in raised position until again released by the vfireman or engineer.

In the drop of the water receptacle to lowered position, vthe spout extension will ybe automatically raised to vertical position kk'and Awill slide 'downwardly in said position with said receptacle. The water receptacle 'is 'of suitable capacity to ysupply the tender with the proper 4qllanti'ty of water by a single discharge thereof.

In the fall of the water receptacle to lowered position at the bottom of the well following the escape ot' the lower end Vof the plunger from engagement with the lug or block 17, the spur gears 10 and ll and the drum 7 will be rotated reversely, and will thereby return the rack l2 to its normal position with its projection 17 laterally opposite the tower. The pulley 6 has its shaft provided with a suitable governor.

It is obvious that the use 0f this invention will avoid the expense of the water tanks now in use, and the objectionable leakage of said tanks, and will prevent the freezing ot the water supply in all cases.

In the case of wells of different depths, where the water supply receptacle is required to be raised different heights, the position of the lug 17 initially may be varied so that the gearing will be operated l'or a greater length of time. This would apply mainly to double trackroads where the de-Y vice is required to work only in one direction for each track. In the case of single track roads, or for double track roads if desired, the gearing may be vari-ed to suit each case or depth ,of well, whereby a givenl operation of the lug 17 will give varying results as to the height the water receptacle is raised.

I claim:

l. In a water supply device for the tenders of locomotives, a vertically reciprocatory receptacle having normally a lowered position below ground, and means operable by a car in its movement, adapted to raise said receptacle to a suitable height ior 'said supply and including a winding drum, -acable attached to said receptacle and adapted to be wound upon said drum, a reciprocatory rack having 'an lopera-ting connection with said drum, and a device carried by said car and operable at will to engage vsaid rack.

2. In a water supply device 'for the tenders of locomotives, a vertically 'reciprocatory receptacle having normally a lowered position below ground, and means operable' v j A j g by a car in its movement, adapted to raise emptied-of its contents as stated, the plunsaid receptacle to a suitable height for said supply and including a winding drum, a cable attached to said receptacle and fadapted to be wound upon said drum, a reciprocatory rack having an operating connection with said drum, and a device carried by said car and depressible at will :to engage said rack.l the fall of said receptacle to nor mal position acting t0 restore the par-ts "to normal position, and said vrack being y.Inovable in either direction by the car to wind said cable upon said drum.

3. In a water supply dev-ice for the tenders of locomotives, a vertically reciproca tory receptacle having normally a lowered position below ground, and means operable by a car adapted to raise said receptacle to 1 a. lsuitable height for said supply and including a device operable inthe passage oi turein presence of two Witnesses. the train of cars in either direction and` a,

depressible device carried by said car and CHARLES `E. RICE. 5 operable at the will of the engineer or rc- Witnesses:

man and adapted to engage said rst named W. L.`MATTHEWS,

device. Y

E. E. QUTSENBERRY.

`In testimony whereof I aix my signa-V 

